Solstice - any fans here?

[JayKeeley]

Second time trying to post this...

So here we have a band that released two albums and an EP throughout the 90's. I have both albums, Lamentations and New Dark Age. Both good, although New Dark Age is better.

Problem with both? Horrible, horrible vocals - particularly on Lamentations. Interestingly enough, they replaced one dire vocalist with another not-quite-so-dire-but-still-crappy vocalist.

Either way, some good classic metal/doom here, where New Dark Age is perhaps easier on the ears - particularly due to its magnificient song writing and riffs.

Thoughts?

 

[Krilons Resa]

They produce some excellent riffs but like you said, the vocals are really off-key and flat half the time, lol. I still really enjoy the band. I prefer Lamentations to New Dark Age though.

 

[JayKeeley]

As a band in the studio or whatever, with obviously enough talent to write and play good music, I wonder how shitty vocals slip through the net? Seriously, didn't the band members just listen to the vocals and think, 'fuck this, we need to find a new singer before we record the album'?

I'm not sure why bands settle for something that's so obviously flawed.

Like you say, this isn't bad vocals because of the style or anything - this is bad because the singers (particularly the first one) really CANNOT sing in key. Fuck, some of it sounds like a drunk in a karaoke bar. It ruins a perfectly good album otherwise.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

huge GODZ
I LOVE THEM
I think the vocals are perfect for this kind of music, especially the guy who sings in "New Dark Age" he has that killer atmospheric accent, and his voice is AMAZING, influenced by NWOBHM singers. Also his vocal lines are AWESOME and really imaginative, they combine greatly with the lyrics. I like the singer of "Lamentations" too. Solstice are doom, EPIC, atmospheric and REALLY emotional.. what more can someone ask?
Halcyon is divine too

 

[IOfTheStorm]

oh and check out ISEN TORR, the project of the great guy behind Solstice, Rich Walker with the singer of Twisted Tower Dire, and another great guitar hero of our days: Perry Grayson (who plays in Falcon and used to play in Destiny's End). Isen Torr play slow epic metal too.

 

[JayKeeley]

ISEN TORR eh? Sounds interesting. I've heard Twisted Tower Dire and those vocals are a marked improvement, so a hunting I shall go! Is it just one album?

 

[IOfTheStorm]

An ep with two songs called "Mighty And Superior" - only released in vinyl.

 

[JayKeeley]

Have you heard the Slough Feg / Twisted Tower Dire 7" EP?

 

[IOfTheStorm]

nnnnnnnnnnnope

 

[Black Winter Day]

Like you said, decent enough band -- godawful vocals.

 

[JayKeeley]

So I got the Halcyon EP - here's the cover art:

OMG!! Solstice with good vocals!!! Suddenly, all that was wrong is right!! It's now the best Solstice release ever, and it's only an EP!

 

[Black Winter Day]

Cool, I wanna hear it.

 

[JayKeeley]

CD-R coming your way!

 

[Black Winter Day]

Sweet!

 

[unhinged]

reading through there I was just going to say that the vocals aren't bad but halcyon is the only cd I have of them, d'oh

so the others are duff eh?

not a huge fan anyway, not really my kebab

 

[Reign in Acai]

 

[Reign in Acai]

Full EP Streaming

http://solstice-englander.bandcamp.com/album/deaths-crown-is-victory

 

[NAD]

I don't know where it came from, but I just found their self-titled album on my iTonks screensaver thing and thought "...who?!" No idea who told me to download this, but apparently I did, and now I'm listening.

This is fuckin' and I like the vocals.

EDIT: Nevermind, different god damn band.

Whatever, this is good! http://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Solstice/Solstice/11356

 

[Krigloch the Furious]

I've been meaning to get the death metal Solstice for a while now.